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8 Reasons Why Your WiFi has Slowed Down to a Crawl

Sluggish WiFi? Yeah, we have all faced such problems at our respective workplaces.

Slow WiFi creates a host of issues. But if you always think of these things as a part of a problem, it will solve nothing. You will have to turn these things into part of the problem to ensure a smoother operation. So how can you do that? The first step is to find out the root of these issues.

Here are a few probable reasons as to why your workplace WiFi has slowed down to a crawl. Take a quick peek.

#1. Is your router’s power-saving mode turned on?

Most routers come with an in-built power saving system. Some of them even have them turned on by default. The main goal of a power saving system is to save a few miliwatts. But unfortunately, this results in a significant reduction of bandwidth.

Hence, it’s advisable to turn off your router’s power saving mode as soon as possible to amp up your network speed.

#2. Poor location choice

Most business workplaces prefer to hide their router from plain view. They do it for a handful of reasons that might be related to workplace aesthetics to curbing WiFi misuses.

You must remember that poor location choice might result in a significant loss of bandwidth resulting in slow WiFi speeds. For example, if you place your WiFi router underneath the stairs, it might slow your WiFi down to a crawl.

Your router should always be out in the open and should preferably be in a central location. Do not keep your WiFi routers near a water-enclosed container because it will result in significant signal blockage. Keeping it in the open is the only solution.

#3. Poor antenna designs

Weak antenna designs can be one of the main culprits behind significant loss of WiFi speeds. Your router’s WiFi can really be the culprit that we are talking about right here.

There’s not all bad news though. You have an ace solution up your sleeve especially when this problem is concerned which is nothing but a replacement. You can actually replace the built-in antenna of your router with an upgraded and more powerful antenna available in the market.

It’s a bit of a hassle but it is definitely worth it. Go for it and you’ll definitely notice the improvements in your WiFi speeds in almost no time.

#4. Your CPU signals might affect your WiFi signals significantly

Most CPUs these days work in the Gigahertz spectrum. Remember that your WiFi transmitter’s picking up that noise at every instant of its functionality.

The higher the noise is, the more likely it’ll be for your router to lower its bandwidth value. The entire process is not within your control. The process of lowering down router bandwidth is fully automatic. So what can you do curb the issue?

Try to keep your router as far away as possible from your working PC or laptop. Once you do it, you are bound to notice the rise in your router bandwidth in almost no time.

#5. Check the number of devices connected to the router

The number of WiFi devices connected to the router at the same time plays a big role in affecting its performance. If it’s too many, it almost goes without saying that you’ll notice a significant drop in your WiFi speeds because of performance load issues.

So you must know about these devices* that are working on your wireless network and you should also do your best to reduce the load especially during your peak business hours.

*Note: These so-called wireless devices include things like smartphones, tablets, laptops and PCs but that’s not the complete set. Don’t forget about your smart TVs and wireless printers (if any) because they are also working on the same network ad can actually slow your WiFi down to a crawl.

#6. Old firmware or driver

Old firmware or driver issues are a common problem that’s overlooked by many business organizations. Ensure that you don’t make the same mistake as they do.

Check your router’s firmware from time to time. Is there any latest update available in the market? If the answer’s “yes,” go for it without further ado. The new firmware is more than capable of boosting your WiFi speeds in the best possible way.

You should also know that most of these driver updates are available for free in the market. So stop procrastinating and get updating. You will definitely benefit yourself in the long run.

#7. Is your router using a crowded transmission channel?

Your router’s designed to use the least crowded transmission channel by default. But sometimes manual selection is considered more important over automatic selection and the same thing is applicable in this case.

If your router’s transmitting data over a crowded channel, its bandwidth is bound to bog down to the level of minimum in almost no time. Hence, the checking isn’t just important; it’s MIGHTY important.

You can use certain tools to your benefit especially when the question of finding out the right transmission channel is concerned. One such tool is InSSIDer.

With the help of this tool, you will be able to know about the details of your workplace WiFi spectrum and the channels that are the most crowded of the lot. If you find that your current channel is crowded enough, consider changing to a sparse one ASAP.

#8. Last but not the least, there’s the problem of interferences

Many common workplace devices can significantly affect the performance of your WiFi router.

Like CPU signals (mentioned above), other devices like microwave ovens, gaming systems, cordless phones as well as Bluetooth headsets can significantly interfere with WiFi signals and are more than capable of bringing your WiFi speed down to a crawl.

Many workplaces have these devices in place for the benefit of their employees. If your business workplace has even one of the aforementioned devices in place, consider placing your WiFi router as far away as possible from the very same device.

Conclusion

So that’s it then. You can very well see the ways through which you can turn this problem into a part of the solution with systematic research along with a bit of common sense. Otherwise, there’s always the proven, tried and tested universal solution. Get a brand new router and every problem will disappear on its own. So what are you going to do? The answer rests with you.

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Steven Scheck is the Principal of Inspire WiFi, the nationwide leader of Wi-Fi networks for the multifamily, hospitality and healthcare industries. He has recently expressed his thoughts and opinion about apartment WiFi and hospital WiFi. He is also very involved in philanthropic causes in Miami and nationally.

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